The Reverie
by SinginPrincess
Summary: Castle gets lost within his own thoughts during an interview with a little girl who just lost her parents.


Ten years old and she had just lost both her parents. The young girl was trying so hard not to cry as she answered all of Beckett's questions, but it was clear that she was just about ready to explode in tears. Castle was speechless, he couldn't bring himself to speak, the thought that it could have been Alexis, the possibility that one day, his own daughter might experience exactly what this little girl had – the idea of his daughter witnessing his murder – was heartbreaking. And to make matters worse, he knew she would blame herself – just as this little girl was, even though it could never be her fault. He didn't want to cry, he couldn't, it would be a disaster if he did. He needed to escape the thoughts, sometimes shadowing Beckett was just too hard to handle, it hurt too much. Sometimes the intrigue just wasn't enough, sometimes the pain it inflicted just wasn't worth it, but he couldn't help it, he would just keep coming back, like a magnet. For a moment, he wondered why he couldn't just get up and leave, but as he saw the reason wrapping her arms around the little girl, who had finally let go of the tears, he knew exactly why he had to stay.

The little girl buried her face into Beckett's chest. Richard stared. He could see the pain in her eyes; he could only imagine what she was thinking about. Here he was, speechless, pathetically sitting there staring, feeling only his own hurt, when both the little girl and the extraordinary woman before him had experienced the kind of pain he could only ever imagine, the kind of pain he had written on paper, the kind of pain that made him rich. But he could never truly capture it as a whole, he hadn't experienced it, and he hoped he never would.

He heard a few mumbles escape the detective's lips; she was trying her best to ease the young girl's pain. If anyone knew how to ease someone's pain, it was Beckett. He'd seen it time and again, with every victim, anyone who had lost someone, she could always talk them through it, even if it meant not talking at all. She always seemed to know exactly what to say to them, and moreover, when not to say anything at all. It was admirable – no, it was amazing, just as she was and always would be in his eyes.

Suddenly he found himself lost in an entirely different place, a better place. Staring at the sight before him for so long had altered his mind; he was no longer watching Beckett hug a young victim of tragedy. Now he was watching happiness like no other – what he saw was Kate, a beautiful woman smiling as she hugged an even younger girl, one who looked to be about five years old, and she looked just like her.

Soon after, he found himself within the reverie; the beautiful little girl ran up to him, arms wide open expecting a big hug. Katherine followed after her; she smiled so bright it made his heart skip a beat. She took a step even closer to him, leaning in so close that they nearly shared the same breath. And then, she kissed him. His heart beating faster than ever before, he deepened the kiss, savoring the moment.

Their passion was then interrupted by the giggles of the little girl who now had her arms wrapped around both his legs and Kate's. She was so adorable he couldn't be even a little mad that she'd cut off the kiss. Kate stroked the girl's hair and told her three of the world's most beautiful words. The girl blushed and then turned around. Both Rick and Kate followed her gaze, and sure enough, it was Alexis she was staring at. She ran to her, Alexis, who seemed a little older, and all the more beautiful, lifted the girl up into the air. When he read his daughter's lips, everything fell into place.

This little girl was his daughter, as well as Kate's. He smiled, he had never been this happy before. Finally, he turned his gaze to Katherine, admiring her gorgeous body and then planting his eyes on her right hand, there he saw a radiant diamond.

He wanted to be sure of what he saw, so he checked his own hand, and there it was, a simple golden band that made his heart soar.

A loud bang startled him, he looked up, confused. Everything seemed to be alright, but then he heard it twice more. He looked again and realized that something was wrong, no one was smiling anymore. Kate's face turned to hurt and anger, she pulled out her gun just as his daughters vanished from sight. Now it was just the two of them, Kate was in a rage, shooting towards targets he couldn't see. Everything around them was now a dark blur. Kate turned to him, holding her waste. She struggled to reach him and then laid a red hand on his shoulder. Her lips spelt out his name several times, but he couldn't hear anything. He was shocked and numb.

She tightened her grip on his shoulder, squeezing it a little, calling out his name, but he was unresponsive. She shook him lightly and he jumped a little, staring at her in shock. She reached out with her other hand, trailing her finger under his eyes. He continued to stare, and she responded with a tiny grin. She made a point of showing him that he was crying, she had wiped his tears. He opened his mouth slightly and stared down at her right hand, no ring. She jerked back as if slightly uncomfortable, possibly realizing how dangerously close to him she had been.

He felt a small sense of relief when he realized that it wasn't real, that he was now back in the real world. He turned to where the ten year old girl had been sitting and found the chair was empty, he turned back to face Beckett with a look of confusion, she shook her head when he asked where the girl had gotten too. He was then informed that the interview was over and she'd left with her aunt. Knowing what Beckett was about to ask, he stood up letting her know that she really didn't want to know where his mind had taken him.

He knew she would take it upon herself to taunt him about this moment and how he spaced out throughout the entire interview, but he smiled despite himself. Everything was back to the way it should be, though his heart longed to touch her, to kiss her the way he would have had the reverie been real, without the bitter end. One day, they would have it all.


End file.
